The present invention relates generally to an entry door for a building and, more specifically, to a building door having a door closer guide track formed as a portion of the firestop of the door.
Installing doors into buildings under construction typically requires the assistance of various tradesmen. For example, for one opening, tradesmen such as carpenters, painters, glaziers, electricians and drywallers are required to complete the installation of a door. Other tradesmen may also be used for the installation of a door closer.
One problem associated with the use of tradesmen for completing the installation of a door is that alignment of the devices may have to be verified using several tradesmen. Tradesmen are expensive and therefore it is desirable to minimize adjustment and alignment procedures on the construction site.
Door closers are commonly used on commercial doors. Door closers may take many forms. Typically, door closers are mounted on the door and extend to the door frame. A spring, cam or other biasing members urges the door shut through the use of an arm.
Another type of door closer provides a slider mortised in the door frame that allows one end of the door closer arm to slide therein. One problem with mortising a track within the door frame is that further tradesmen are required on the construction site to mortise the closer track into the door frame. Such an operation is labor intensive and therefore costly.
Firestops are typically provided within a door frame. Many times the door frames are metal and have an integrally formed firestop therearound. The firestop is typically an extension of about five-eighths of an inch that extends into the door opening against which the door closes. The firestop along with weather stripping eliminates the air gap between the door and the door frame. The firestop may be integrally formed with the door frame or may be assembled as a separate add on piece.
It would therefore be desirable to provide a door assembly that reduces the cost of the installation of the door while incorporating features of the door closer assembly therein.
The present invention reduces the cost of assembly of the door by providing a firestop having a novel design which incorporates a slider channel therein for slidably receiving one end of the slider assembly.
In one aspect of the invention, a door assembly includes a door frame having a horizontal header along the top thereof. A firestop extends downwardly from the header, the firestop has a plurality of sides defining an open channel therein. The firestop has an at least partially open side to define the open channel. A door is rotatably mounted within the door frame. A door closer assembly is coupled to the door. The door closer assembly has a biasing assembly and an arm having a first end and a second end. The first end is rotatably coupled to the biasing assembly and is slidably coupled to the channel.
In a further aspect of the invention, a method of forming a door assembly comprises:
mounting a firestop to a header of a door frame, said firestop having an at least partially open side and a channel defined therein;
mounting a closer assembly having an arm extending therefrom to a door; and
slidably coupling the arm to the channel.
One advantage of the invention is that the cost of assembling the door by tradesmen is reduced because the door closer assembly may be mounted in a factory environment. This leads to another advantage in which the door assembly can be aligned and tested in the assembled position.
A further advantage of the invention is that doors without closer assemblies according to the present invention may be retrofitted to provide a door closer according to the present invention.
Other advantages and features of the present invention will become apparent when viewed in light of the detailed description of the preferred embodiment when taken in conjunction with the attached drawings and appended claims.